


Your Song

by eithergayorgayer



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Hurt Klaus Hargreeves, Hurt/Comfort, Klaus Hargreeves & David "Dave" Katz During Vietnam, Klaus Hargreeves Gets A Hug, Klaus Hargreeves-centric, M/M, Piano, Softie David "Dave" Katz, Somewhat Rushed, Song Lyrics, Song: Your Song (Elton John), This Is Sad, Veteran Klaus Hargreeves, Vietnam War, i can finally tag on mobile, klaus can play piano and can sing btw, sorry about that
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-18 14:27:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29610792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eithergayorgayer/pseuds/eithergayorgayer
Summary: "And you can tell everybody,this is your song."In which Klaus can play piano and sing and decides to serenate Dave who is watching from above.
Relationships: Klaus Hargreeves & David "Dave" Katz, Klaus Hargreeves & Everyone, Klaus Hargreeves & Original Male Character(s), Klaus Hargreeves/David "Dave" Katz
Comments: 6
Kudos: 51





	Your Song

The piano had always been there. Collecting dust over the years and hardly ever being touched except for the rare occasion the kids were so drained of entertainment that a simple classical instrument could bring them just enough joy that they forget their worries and travel into a world that let them be _kids_.

Klaus, despite being far too high in wonderland to even comprehend a lyric on the piano, had always had a natural talent when it came to it. His hands would expertly stretch across the keys, creating a tune that you couldn't quite put your finger on but was still strong enough to drag you in and make you sit there and watch, stars beaming around you as the melody rung in your head for days on end.

His siblings were the spectators to a lot of his moments with the piano. Their faces bright with some level of pride as they watched their brother, a boy who was nothing more that a 'useless waste of space in the Academy' (Reginald words, not theirs), come into himself and form a glow of pure talent. Vanya would be sat next to him, hands cupped in her lap as her brown eyes took in every fine detail. These were the moments that drew them close; two people with such contrasting lives sat together in a large room, simply taking in what their small lives had to offer.

Of course, as soon as Klaus' boots hit the wet ground of the alleyway next to their not-so-warm mansion, he never touched the piano again. Instead, he danced to blasting music of brightly coloured clubs, nothing alike to the sweet and calming nature the instrument made. He always assumed he lost the skill, but deep down under all the mess that was him, that magic ability remained, waiting patiently for him to take a calming breath in and break that wall he'd built over the years.

༺༻

Klaus remembers the very moment he watched the light leave Dave's eyes, his lovers bloods caking his hand like a glove as his tears streamed down his pale cheeks. He remembers the very moment he dragged the old and beaten briefcase from under his bed and opened it, taking a sharp breath in as he landed on that same bus he disappeared from ten months ago. All that time, the same song was playing in his mind.

He had stumbled into the foyer of the mansion, the briefcase having exploding as he threw it to the ground, screaming out all the pain he had built up through those mere hours of losing the love of his life. His green eyes scanned the room with such intensity, growing wide when they found the black piano that had an even thicker layer of dust than he remembered it having.

None of his siblings were in sight, all either out of the house or hidden away from him in the far corners of their childhood home. He strode up to it, his shoes clicking against the group softly as his hand raked over the cold surface. A rush of memories came back to him;

... _The time he played a song that had no name to cheer up Diego after he had a gruelling training session with Reginald._

_...The time he tried teaching Allison how to play Beethoven Für Elise, one of the_ _many_ _song sheets that sat in a box on the top shelf. She attempted, but quickly slammed her hand onto_ _the_ _white_ _keys and stormed off, leaving a cackling Klaus in the dust who continued to_ _play_ _the song with ease._

_...The time he played Five's favourite classical music piece "Paino Concerto №.19" after he ran away, hoping it would bring his brother back. It didn't._

_...The time Luther had a headache and begged Klaus to play the most calming_ _piece_ _he knew._

_...The time Ben was curious about what a certain song sounded like on the piano and Klaus played it for him, grinning when his brother began dancing around the room like it was the waltz._

_...The time Vanya brought her violin down and the two performed a duet with Allison doing the vocals, which was quickly stopped by Reginald who claimed "It's nothing more that nonsensical noise"._

He pulled himself away from the memories and slowly sat down on the leather padded bench, lifting the protective lid and flexing his fingers. He thought for a while, flicking through the metaphorical rolodex of musical pieces he knew off by heart. Then, the very song that played in his mind on the way back home came to mind.

Klaus took a nervous glance back to the entrance of the room before he sighed, closed his eyes and began the piece.

It was a soft tune, nothing more than a song everyone knows almost instantly.

"It's a little bit funny,  
this feeling inside..."

.  
.  
.  
.  
.  
.

Five wasn't lying about this whole time travel thing being a hot mess. It felt as if he had just been thrown off a cliff and then got beaten up by bears of steroids. He groaned when he finally hit the ground, the roughed up and not smoking briefcase held tight to his chest for some form of protection.

He opened his eyes, the light of wherever he was blinding him as if he had just stared straight into the sun. There was commotion all around him, a series of men's voice surrounding him. His eyes set on a blonde haired man that was lying on his bed, chest exposed as he stared at Klaus with the same look of confusion. If Klaus wasn't too distracted by whatever the hell was happening, he would be gazing at his chest, most specifically his _abs_.

A loud band made Klaus jump out of his skin, gripping onto the now identified as time travelling suitcase for dear life. A burly man in an old war outfit came storming into the trench, his eyes that held a certain look Klaus couldn't quite distinguish landing on him immediately. They raked up and down his body before his mouth formed a snarl, turning to face a young looking boy who was hurrying to grab his gun.

"Katz! Get him a pair of pants, won't you?"   
His voice was just as rough as he looked. The man on the bed shot up and grabbed a set of clothes that hung over the frame and threw it at Klaus. He would normally oppose to having things thrown at him, but the shrieking sound of bullets and bombs in the distance shook him to his core, rendering him into a floppy mess that was trying to put on pants way too big for him.

The world beyond the cloaked doorway was _horrifying_. More so than the gruesome scenes he watched every day. Dead bodies were sprawled all over the muddy ground, their faces contorted with pain that had yet to fade along with their life. A new heavy weight was pushed into his arms, his eyes falling down to find that of a M1 carbine.

"U-um- sorry to break it to ya, bud, but I don't know how to... y'know... shoot a gun-"   
The man before him simply glared at him before running off into the distance. Klaus looked around in a panic, a small part of him trying to find the blonde man from earlier.

_**"I'm not one of those who can easily hide."** _

He was pushed forward by the rest of the men, sent to the ground as he made pathetic attempts of hitting whoever was beyond the line. The ghosts in this field were _loud_ and he could hardly concentrate. It was all a blur at this point, just him with a gun he doesn't know how to use and a army of ghosts screaming for their mothers and friends.

.  
.  
.  
.  
.  
.

  
That fiasco ended just as quickly as it started. Klaus was ushered back to the trench and directed to a bed that clearly used to be possessed by someone he could only assume was dead. The blonde man was thankfully still alive, almost instantly collapsing onto his bed and falling asleep. The night had finally crept in and all that Klaus could do was stare at the ceiling. It was still high with volume, wails of ghosts in the distance, but he somehow managed to sleep.   
How on earth he was going to get back to the future he doesn't know.

They were piled onto a bus, Klaus managing to sneak the briefcase on with him as he clutched the gun to his chest. Everyone was talking as if this was just some school trip, as if it was normal to be at war. For the first time ever, Klaus felt truly alone. No one to talk to, no one to listen to or for them to listen to him. At least, that's what he thought. A large hand landed on his shoulders and snapped him out of his thoughts, his head turning to face the blue eyes of the blonde man from last night.

He had a welcoming smile, and now Klaus had a close up look at him, he could see his hair was a mess of loose curls and that his eyes were a darker shade of blue than any normal ones he's seen before.

"You just get in country?"   
His voice was soft like honey. Klaus smiled and nodded nervously.

"Oh- uh... yeah."   
The two chuckled quietly.

"Yeah, shit's crazy, I know."  
Klaus wouldn't have took the man to be much of a swearer but hey, he is in the midst of Vietnam so Klaus supposes he _deserves_ to swear.

"Yeah!"  
Klaus cringed slightly, his voice sounding too optimistic.

"You'll adjust."  
Klaus grinned at the other man and looked to his lap, the awkward silence making him fidget on the spot.

"I'm Dave." The man - _Dave_ \- reached his hand out for Klaus to take, the latter doing so proudly.

"Klaus."

**_"I don't have much money, but boy if I did, I'd buy a big house where we both could live..."_ **

.  
.  
.  
.  
.  
.

The two hit it off immediately. Holding onto eachother as laughs rendered them into puddles, the tales from Klaus' childhood and Dave's.  
By now, they both knew each other's siblings names, their parents, where they were from and what not.

They'd go to the bar and dance till their feet were sore...

"Wait- so, your dad used train you and your siblings?"   
Dave asked from behind his glass of whiskey. Klaus nodded and crossed his legs, blowing out the smoke of his cigarette into the tight air of the packed club.

"The bastard was obsessed with us being at peak with our fighting skills."  
Klaus murmured. Dave shook his head and looked to the dance floor.

"Why don't we leave this place, eh?"  
Klaus looked at the man and then followed his gaze.

"Sure."

༺༻

Diego didn't hear it at first, the sound of his knives scraping against each other too loud to recognise the song that was echoing through the mansion. But when he set them down and moved to pick up his belt, the piano came through the walls, followed by the familiar voice of Klaus.

"What the..." Diego said to himself, tying the belt around his waist and picking up his knives before opening his door and peaking around the corner.

"If I was a sculptor, ha  
but then again, no."

He was sure of it now. Klaus was singing. Five had appeared in the hall, his own look of confusion on his face as him and Diego made eye contact.

"Or a man who makes potions in a traveling show.  
I know it's not much, but it's the best I can do."

"Is that... Klaus?"   
Five asked, walking towards his brother and then to the stairs. Diego shrugged and moved to climb the stairs, thundering up them. Klaus' voice became louder.

"Since when could Klaus sing?" Diego questioned, failing to hear Ben who stood with them.

"Since forever."   
Is what Ben had replied with, forgetting for a moment that his alive siblings couldn't hear him.

"My gift is my song,  
and this one's for you."

.  
.  
.  
.  
.  
.

Two months had passed and him and Dave had only gotten closer. Other men in the troop nicknamed them Stan and Ollie after witnessing the two drunkingly dance and sing together.

They were sat together on a small hill behind the trench, the night staring down at them as they stared back. Klaus was terrified now. It was the 60's and he is just realising that he has developed feelings for a man who is technically almost fourty years his senior. 

_**"And you can tell every body, this is** _ _**your** _ _**song."** _

"Hey, I forgot to ask, what is your favourite song?"   
Dave turned to him. Klaus chuckled and thought for a moment. 

"You probably haven't heard of it, but it goes-"

" _ **It may be quite simple, but now that it's done."**_

"I hope you don't mind... I hope you don't mind... That I put down in the words... How wonderful life is while you're in the world."   
Klaus sang quietly and blushed as Dave's eyes stared at his mouth.

"You were right, I haven't heard that one before. Sounds great, though. You've got a great voice."   
Dave spoke at last, leaning back into the tree they sat in front of.

"If you'd like, I'd sing to you more often."   
Klaus winked and barked out a laugh when Dave turned red.

_**"I sat on a roof** _ _**and** _ _**kicked off the moss."** _

༺༻

Five, Diego and Ben all watched as Klaus played the piano with ease. There was such raw emotion in his voice as he sang, so much so that the trio could _feel_ what he was feeling. It was mix of hurt, loss and heartache.

"Well a few of the verses, well they've got me quite cross.  
But the sun's been quite kind while I wrote this song.  
It's for people like you that keep it turned on."

Diego bit his lip and looked to the ground.

"Who do you reckon he's singing to?"   
He turned to Five who seemed to be lost in the music. The (appearance-wise) younger boy looked up at him and for the first time in a while, he had no answer.

"Whoever it is, they mean a lot."

Ben silently wishes he could tell them who. He was there and for whatever reason, Klaus couldn't hear or see him. But for those ten months, he watched Dave and Klaus fall in love, watched their relationship bloom and then watched helplessly as his brother cradled the dead body of the man he loved the most.

_**"So** _ _**excuse** _ _**me for forgetting, but these things I do..."** _

.  
.  
.  
.  
.  
.

It was his fifth month of being in Vietnam. Klaus gave up on trying to get back, deciding to direct all of his time to staying alive _and_ develop his and Dave's relationship further. The past few weeks have been a mix of partying, fighting, training and sneaking off to smoke on the hill as they talk about whatever came to mind.

Every day he would look at Dave and a new emotion washed over him. A new form of love he hasn't felt for any one else before him. Dave was gentle, always there to comfort him and make sure he was alright after a particularly eventful nightmare. 

Klaus was bold enough to tell him about the ghosts, and instead of laughing at him or snitching on him to the commander, he took Klaus' hand and told him that he was there for Klaus whenever he needed it.

" _ **You see I've forgotten, if they're green or they're blue. Anyway the thing is, what I really mean..."**_

They were in the back of a club now, the muffled sound of booming music and women giggling in the distance.

Klaus was leaning against the wall, the orange tinted light creating a shadow over Dave's face. But still, his eyes were more present than ever. 

" _ **Yours are the sweetest eyes I've ever seen..."**_

A hand rested on his cheek and lips were now on his. A spark went off, stars were in his eyes, the music somehow got louder and it felt like Christmas all over again. This was a new level of happy. This was like being promised the world and you get it. Klaus felt like he had everything and he relished every second of it.

Dave pulled back and smiled at Klaus, the latter having heart eyes as he tried to capture his lips once more.

_**"And you can tell everybody... This is the song..."** _

༺༻

The sound of the mansions main entrance came from behind the three man audience, all turning to see Allison, Vanya and Luther striding towards them.

"Is Klaus singing?"  
Allison asked, walking past them and watching her brother express his emotions through the song.

"It may be quite simple,  
but now that it's done."

"Yeah, we've been watching him for a while."   
Five answered for them, leaning on the wall as Klaus continued to song. His voice was getting louder and more expressed, the pain becoming more and more prominent.

"He seems like he's hurt..." Vanya's quiet tone noted, hands cupped together in front of her as her soft brown eyes lingered on Klaus' wild hair.

.  
.  
.  
.  
.  
.

It went so fast. First week after the kiss, they became secretly official. Giggling to each other as they planned for their future after the war. 

For months on end they talked about what type of house they'd buy, where they'd live. How they'd have a small farm and live in peace as "good friends" to the towns folk. It seemed perfect.

_**"I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind..."** _

Dave and Klaus ended up getting matching tattoo's, making up for the pain by getting absolutely pissed off their arse's. They rented a cheap hotel that same night and celebrated, as one could say.

Ben was unfortunate to witness it after returning from his little trip around the city. (He'll never forgive Klaus on that one).

_**"That I put down in words..."** _

The seventh month was them getting excited for when they'd be sent home next year, how close their freedom was.

They danced to the record player, The Beatles playing as Dave spun Klaus.

Klaus made Dave jealous by openly admitting his crush on George Harrison, Dave of which tackling Klaus to the ground and making him say sorry.

The relationship was so pure and Klaus is sure he's never felt this safe before.

_**"How wonderful life is while you're in the world."** _

He lost Dave in the tenth month.

Everything was fine. They had the upper hand with more men, Klaus finally getting the hang of shooting the gun whilst him and Dave joked about the losing side. A bullet whipped past Klaus' head, making him duck and lose grip on his weapon.

"Woah, that was a close one, wasn't it Dave?"  
Klaus laughed, taking hold of his gun once more. Dave didn't respond.

"Dave?"   
Klaus turned to face his lover. Dave was limp and Klaus felt his heart drop. He pushed himself off the ground and leaned over, pushing Dave onto his back. To his horror, a large and painful bullet wound was found on his chest.

"No no no no- DAVE-"   
Klaus shook the man, pulling him to his own chest and looking around in a panic.

"Medic! _Medic_!"   
Klaus cried, looking into Dave's eyes. Dave was gurgling on the blood in his mouth, his eyes filling with fear as he raised a shakey hand to grip Klaus's arm.

"Dave- Dave, _stay_ with me, please!"   
Klaus had tears streaming down his face, his hand cupping Dave's cheek as he cried out for help once more. Dave's grip fell from his arm, his eyes turned grey and the sound of his breath died off. 

"Fuck- fuck, no no no no nO! NO- Dave! Please, fuck, wake up!"   
Klaus screamed, hugging Dave's lifeless form tightly to his chest. Somebody was pulling him away from Dave but he couldn't care. His hold tightened and his screams became louder.

"Hargreeves! He's dead! Let go of him!" Johnson, a friend of theirs, had yelled as he pulled Klaus off Dave. 

"No- we can save him- please, let me take him!" Klaus tried to protest, reaching out for Dave as he was dragged back to the trenches.

"Da-Dave..." His voice was barely over a whisper as he finally gave into Johnson's insistence.

༺༻

"I hope you don't mind,  
I hope you don't mind..."

Klaus' voice cracked and the siblings straightened to sound of a sob.

"Klaus?" Allison stepped forward, followed by the rest of their siblings. The man didn't respond, instead he continued to play the song.

"That I put down in the words,  
How wonderful life was...  
whilst you were in the world."

The song ended and Klaus' hand fell from the keys, the only sound left was his his heavy breathing. A hand was placed on his shoulder, causing him to jump and look back. He met the faces of all of his siblings, who's eyes held a warm and comforting look that reminded him of Dave. 

And instead of pushing them away like he had learnt to do as a child, he simply stood and threw himself into their arms, crying into the crook of Diego's neck as they hugged him back.

"We're here, shhh." 


End file.
